Sixth Grade

Sixth Grade:  The beginning of academic teams.

As our students begin to swing from childhood to adulthood, it is essential that they learn in situations that combine meaningful relationships with interdisciplinary learning. This is why our Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grade students work in academic teams to study science, history, PE, art, and music.  In each team (a mix of Sixth, Seventh and Eight Grade) students will consistently engage new points of view, take on leadership roles, and communicate with new audiences as they experiment, research, and create together. 

Academic teams stay together for the year and all academic teams study the same material.  The curriculum rotates on a three-year cycle.  Select the links below for a more in depth look at the science, history, PE, art and music curriculums for each of the three years.  

Central Subject: Finding Your Voice and Speaking the Truth

Language Arts

Sixth grade students, along with the Seventh and Eighth Grades, participate in Advisory Groups  and the high volume reading program. For more information on specific books that are studied, select the Year A, B, or C curriculums above.

Language, Literacy & Written Composition

For students to become skilled, avid readers, teachers utilize reading workshop, literature circles, and response journals -a guided reading approach.  These activities and others provide important opportunities for students to develop vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills within the context of literature and in connection with science, social studies, mathematics and the arts.

The Sixth Grade writing program includes significant experiences in writing memoir, poetry, biography, essays and a simple research report. In writing workshop, students repeatedly choose writing topics, draft, revise, edit and publish their writing. As students learn how to organize ideas to suit various forms and purposes, they also work to develop ideas, word choice and conventions. Skills such as parts of speech, punctuation, writing mechanics, and spelling, as well as word study, are emphasized. Formal curriculum supports the study of grammar, vocabulary and spelling.

Mathematics 

In Sixth Grade math, students explore new concepts with number and operations while continuing to work with whole numbers, fractions, percentages and measurement. Number theory work includes primes, factors, multiples and Venn Diagrams. Extensive work with geometry, fractions, statistics, and probability are also important.  Opportunities for algebraic reasoning occur throughout the curriculum in order to build the foundation for the formal study of algebra in the upper grades. As always, word problems and real life applications are woven into every unit. 

World Language: Spanish

In this class, the main goal is to develop conversational vocabulary in Spanish. Classroom activities are designed to promote the understanding and speaking of the language through games, improvisations, art activities, and drama. Whenever possible, the language is taught in its cultural and sometimes literary context. While students do use a textbook (Vivá el Español, Adelánte ), personal, active, and consistent involvement in class is the most critical element of student work.

Summer Reading List

Summer reading list for incoming Sixth Grade students.